EB-P0 - Workplace Safety and Health - Committees and Representatives

The Prairie Spirit School Division is concerned for the safety and health of all students and staff attending and working in, as well as all the visitors to, the facilities of the Division.  We are committed to providing and maintaining safe and healthy workplaces.

It is the intent of the Division to comply with the requirements of the Workplace Safety and Health Act, the regulations, and the relevant Codes of Practice.  It shall cooperate with the Workplace Safety and Health Division of Manitoba Labour and Immigration in the implementation of health and safety programs.  It shall promote education and foster attitudes that are manifested in a sound culture of health and safety.

Members of the Senior Management team will be responsible for overseeing the establishment of health and safety committees and the implementation of programs in divisional workplaces having 20 or more employees.  Representatives, with roles and duties similar to those of committees, will be identified for places having 5 to 20 workers.  Individuals at other workplaces will report workplace issues to immediate supervisors, School Principals, or to Senior Management. 

The safety and health program to be developed by each committee will be a systematic plan to identify and control safety and health hazards, and to respond to emergencies.  It will be workplace-specific.  It will obviously take advantage of, and enhance already existing health and safety policies of the Division.  Its main purpose is to make safety and health a core value of the workplace.

The Senior Management team will prepare and outline a basic program to be used by each committee in developing their own health and safety program.  It will incorporate the 12 elements (a-i) as identified in Section 7.4 (5) of the Workplace Safety and Health Act.  (See Procedure EB-P1)

Every person in the Division must integrate good workplace safety and health practices into their daily tasks by following safe work methods found in our policies and procedures.  Supervisors, employees, students, and visitors – all have a shared responsibility for providing and for maintaining a safe environment by conducting activities in a safe manner, by observing safety rules, and by always practicing safe behaviour.  Substandard safety and health performance will not be tolerated.

This Workplace Safety and Health policy will be posted in locations where it is accessible and visible to all employees, students, and visitors.